A Matter of Trust
by Elennare
Summary: When everyone you know suddenly becomes a potential enemy, who do you turn to? Captain America: The Winter Soldier fanfiction.


AN: Spoilers for The Winter Soldier and The Avengers.

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"We need a place to lie low. And we need allies. Where do you think we should go?" Steve raised his eyebrows at her, clearly willing to defer to her expertise. Natasha considered the question, touched by his trust in her, after everything they'd just learned. Who wasn't their enemy now? Who did she trust enough to go to them?

_"How about a friend?"_ Steve's earlier words came to mind, and Natasha smiled at the memory. It was rare, very rare, for someone to want her as a friend. Usually the closest she came was people who wanted to use her, or make a deal with her, or stay on her good side because they were afraid of her. It… felt good. And with everyone she knew in S.H.I.E.L.D. at least potentially an enemy now, she could do with a friend just as much as Steve could. Needed one just as much as he did.

Who else was there? Who could she trust? Clint Barton, yes, unconditionally - they'd been through too much for her to doubt him. _Besides_, the part of her that still trusted no-one fully said, _If he were Hydra Loki would have known, and he'd never have been able to resist remarking on it._ She pushed the thought away. _I trust him. No conditions._ But he was in deep cover on the other side of the world, so he wouldn't be able to help them. She spared a few seconds to wish him luck now he'd need to make it on his own; oh, he could do it without S.H.I.E.L.D., he had before, and he was too cunning not to have a backup plan, but losing your support system was still dangerous.

What about the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D.? She was almost sure of AD Hill; Fury had trusted her, and that wasn't to be taken lightly. But if she wasn't Hydra, she'd have more than enough problems of her own right now, and the last thing either of them would need was to get tangled up in each other's mess. When they needed to, they'd come together. Sitwell? Hand? Garrett? The usual pang of grief at the lack of Coulson's name on that list was tempered, now, by the realisation that at least he'd be spared the knowledge he'd been working for Hydra all along. _Ironic, how the two people I'd be sure of - Fury and Coulson - are both dead_. She dismissed the other agents; she didn't have enough data to be sure, and a mistake would be lethal. Besides, the higher placed they were, the more likely Hydra would have tried to turn them… The events to come would reveal the truth.

So. Steve. Clint. What about the rest of the Avengers? Thor… trustworthy, undoubtedly, but also about as subtle as a blow from Mjolnir. Not to mention overtrusting, and thousands of miles away. He might serve as a backup, but he was no use right now. Dr Banner? He wasn't Hydra; everything she knew of his personality made her sure he'd recoil from it in horror. Besides, being a member of a secret terrorist organization wouldn't mesh well with the avoiding stress that was such a major part of his life. And the need to avoid stress was precisely why they couldn't include him in this… the other guy would not be exactly easy to disguise while on the run. Tony Stark? Surely not Hydra, not with who his father was and what he did - but a memory came to her. "_In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever tried to hide."_ She frowned. He could have missed it, he was boastful and overconfident, and things went crazy soon after that, but there was a doubt now. Had he really missed it, or had he known all along? Or… she doubted there was a nice helpfully complete members list; perhaps he'd thought she was Hydra. Perhaps he'd been working against Hydra in secret, not knowing who to trust… Still, it had been two years; if he'd spotted it, and wasn't involved, he should have revealed it by now. Probably in spectacularly overdramatic style, knowing him. Too many possibilities to be sure - but they'd avoid Stark for now. A_nd after this is over, I'll have a nice long talk with him. Whichever is right, he has something to answer for._

She shook her head slightly. There was no-one near enough, who she trusted enough, and who they could call on for help without probably making things worse.

"I don't know. I can't think of anyone I trust who's in the area and would be able to help us. Most of my contacts here are either S.H.I.E.L.D., or known to them, or untrustworthy for… other reasons."

Steve smiled ruefully. "And I hardly know anyone who isn't S.H.I.E.L.D.." He paused, then continued, "The only person I can think of is Sam Wilson."

Natasha tilted her head, considering the idea. By her standards, she knew very little about Sam - oh, she had run a cursory background check when Steve seemed to be befriending him, and he had checked out as the pararescue veteran he'd claimed to be, but ideally she would like a lot more information before placing their lives in his hands. There was no way to get that information, though, so she would have to rely on her instincts, and those said that he could be trusted. _The same instincts that led you to work for Hydra?_ a voice in her head jeered. _Or the same instincts that made sure I always had an escape route,_ she answered herself. Of course, she hadn't expected that Steve would be with her; her plans had always been oriented towards getting as far away as she could, as fast as possible. They were no good now, but she had equipment secreted in various places that could still be useful.

"It's not ideal, but he seems to be our only choice," she finally said. "Let's go. We can pick up a few things I've got hidden that might be handy on the way."

Steve nodded and rose to lead the way, and she fell in behind him, her eyes darting everywhere, searching for potential threats.

_Looks like it's me, Sam Wilson, and Captain America against the world._ Her lips twitched. _Could be worse._


End file.
